Blogs
TPLink Smart Wi-Fi Plug Fail
My Smart Home is fully alexa enabled, I use Amazon Echos and Dots around the house to control my lights, music and audio visual. As part of an expansion of this smart home ecosystem I decided that I would like to add a Fan into the voice control mix.
As such I purchased a TP-Link HS110 Smart Wi-Fi Plug, this is advertised as fully Alexa ready. These are consumer ready items, Simple setup is described on the box as Download the App, Plug it in and configure, sounds Easy.
Step 1.
The First Step was easy, Download the TP Link Kasa App. Although it wasn't actually called what they said it should be in the Play Store.
The instructions said to Download TP-Link Kasa when in fact it is called Kasa for Mobile.
Now this is a brand new product with a box design etc that clearly says it works with Alexa, so it's not old - I don't know why they can't get the name of their app correct on the documentation.
After you download the app you choose your device (in this case TP-Link Smart Plug) and power it up.
Step 2.
Once plugged in the Smart Plug was supposed to turn solid amber, It Didn't and it took a few tries of unplugging it and turning it on to finally get the app to connect with the smart plug.
What this product and app does is create a temporary ad-hoc wifi network from the smart plug itself. Your mobile phone will then switch off from your local wifi and connect to the plugs own wifi network.
Step 3.
Next we join the plug to your home network, it will search for your home network or you can specify which wifi network to attach itself to.
I ran into problems here, 4 or 5 times in a row the app informed me there was a problem and it couldn't connect to the network, to try and enter my password again.
I used the same password again without editing and on about the 6th try it finally accepted it, I was starting to feel a little bit less confident in the product at this stage.
Step 4.
This bit was easy, choose an icon and an easy to use name. As I was going to be using my plug to control a fan I chose Smart Fan Control as my Device Name.
Step 5.
This cheery image told me it was great, I was now presented with a list of my devices on the Kasa App. There was a picture of the Smart Plug with the Name "Smart Fan Control" and a Green Icon to the right of that. At this point I already had the fan plugged into the Smart Plug and the fan was working (on as in fans spinning). I can summise that the green circle with the power icon meant that the power was on.
There was a small location icon with the wording "Local Only" written below the name, I can guess what might be meant by that but will never be certain, see Step 6 and 7.
Step 6.
I finally get to control my fan with my mobile phone over my wifi, or at least that is the plan.
I pressed the green button and was presented with spinning around the arch, after maybe 10 seconds I was unceremoniously told "Can't connect to the device. Please try again later". This happened each time I tried to control it, until eventually it was just greyed out with no description of why or explanation.
Oh-Oh, Now I install smart home systems for a living - I know what I'm doing, No, Really!
The plug was in close proximity to both my wifi and my phone. My Home network runs at 99.9999% uptime - lots of smart home hubs (Philips Hue, Alexa, Kodi, Unraid Server, Logitech Harmony Home) working perfectly in harmony, so it's not that.
Yet I spent around an extra 2-3 hours re-installing, deleting the device off the application and re-installing it, trying to access it over IP (Yes it had requested and received an IP address from the router) and I couldn't get it to work once. I don't run my wireless in 5Gz mode so it's not that either.
Don't get me wrong, with time I could get this thing to work in my home - I've got 15 years experience integrating more complex products, but why should I? It's supposed to be plug and play, if it's this much hard work at the start, it's only going to get worse.
Step 7.
Send it back....
Amazon Echo now changes colour (of your Hue Bulbs)
Philips Hue just announced that their range of Philips Hue Lights now offer a greater amount of control through Amazon's Alexa. This includes the ability to change the bulbs colours with a voice command (previously it was only on/off or brighter/dimmer) . So for example "Alexa please turn the lounge lights to Orange" will now turn all the lights to orange.
Philips Hue Bulbs allow a wide range of lighting colours to be controlled in your home.
Philips explain it thus:
"Your home just got a little smarter. And brighter. Philips Hue works with Amazon Echo, Amazon Echo Dot and Amazon Tap to control your lights with your voice. Use the Alexa Voice Service to switch on your Philips Hue lights before getting out of bed, to dim your Hue lights from the couch to watch a movie, or to set the lights for reading in your favorite chair —all without lifting a finger. Simply ask Alexa to "turn on the lights " or "dim the lights to 50 percent". More to come Philips Hue will be coming soon with new skills and functionalities to provide the best voice controlled lighting experience."
Set the scene by voice, "Alexa - turn living room lights purple"
Amazons Echo - control with your voice.
Think it's a gimmick? It's not, I don't think I've touched a light switch in my house for around a week, my kids love speaking to Alexa and even my wife (who struggles with technology) feels at ease turning lights on and off with voice.
Home Cinema doesn't need to be massive
We started conceptual work on a Home Cinema on the East coast of Phuket this week. It's not a huge room, but it's going to sound and look great. You don't necessarily need a huge room for home theatre, if it's just you and the family and occasional visitor then no need for a massive screen unless you are sitting far away.
This cinema will feature a 75"LED 4k Television with 7.1 Surround sound using Nuvo In-Wall speakers for the front (left, centre, right) speakers and Roth Oli RA1's for the surround speakers. All driven by an Onkyo Receiver. Sources will be media centre and Bluray - All controlled with a harmony logitech all in one remote control.
As part of this home cinema we are integrating a lighting control system into just the one room, with the Philips Hue lights this can be a lot of fun - you can control the lights with your phone, computer, timed or even the logitech remote control - so the lights dim as you start the movie.
The room is 4.50m by 4m and was an unused space before, the owners are turning it into what I hope (and is usually the case) one of the most used and most fun rooms in their beautiful villa.
Banya Literacy Centre - Reboot
Today saw us adding some finishing touches to the BanYa Literacy centre computer room that is part of our ReBoot initiative. Reboot is our initiative that takes 2nd hand computer and computer parts, rebuilds them with a new O/S and keyboard, mouse and monitor and uses them for good causes.
Teacher computer
USB Microscope
We are also looking at coming up with some lesson plans and teaching resources to help the kids to get to grips with computer systems. We are still looking for secondhand PC's so if you have any old computers lying about, or bits of computers then please get in touch and we will come and pick them up.
BanYa literacy centre computer room.
Alien Covenant and Why Home Cinema is best
Yesterday I saw Alien:Covenant.
"The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape."
The movie was very good, far better than I expected, I have seen all of the other Alien movies and Prometheus (watch this again before you watch Alien:Covenant, I'd forgotten most of it) and it was one of the best.
In fact I thought the film stood well as a stand alone movie, You don't need to have seen the previous films to enjoy it.
What I didn't enjoy was the actual movie experience, The film was supposed to start at 7:50pm. There was at least 25 mins of adverts, bad adverts as well, mainly for internet and 3G/4G phone data. This was followed by only 2 trailers for movies that I can't even remember, some more adverts for Coke and Popcorn, a Car advert for the surround sound and then finally the movie started.
All I kept thinking as I looked around the empty cinema, with 95% of the seats free was how annoying being forced to watch adverts was and how much more I would enjoy watching this at home or at one of my customers home cinemas. Walk in press a button, choose a movie and sit back and enjoy, pause it whenever you want, no adverts.
So in Summary: Good movie, see it but either turn up after the adverts or watch it in your own home cinema for the best experience, unless you like adverts, boring adverts.
Show - The new Amazon Echo
Amazon are continuing their relentless march on the automated home with their launch of the Echo Show. This is a new Alexa powered smart speaker that also includes a 7in touchscreen and video-calling features.
Amazon is in an ongoing battle with Google to become the most popular in-home voice assistant, something that currently Amazon is leading in, Google second and Apple still nowhere to be seen (yet).
The new Amazon Echo Show - Amazon's newest home assistant.
The Echo Show will be released on 28th June in the USA - will operate like Amazon’s existing Echo and Echo Dot wifi-connected smart speakers, putting the company’s artificially intelligent voice assistant Alexa into the home. But unlike Amazon’s previous voice-only smart speakers, it will also have a touchscreen to show extra information, play videos from YouTube and elsewhere, show results for questions and other visual information that’s currently displayed when Alexa is asked a question on the firm’s Fire TV smart devices.
Amazon said: “Voice responses from Alexa are now enhanced with visuals and optimised for visibility across the room. Call or message your family and friends that also have an Echo or the Alexa App, get the news with a video flash briefing, see your Prime Photos, shop with your voice, see lyrics with Amazon Music, and more. All you have to do is ask.”
Echo Show has two Dolby-tuned speakers in the front, which Amazon says should fill a room and make listening to music or watching video better than with previous devices, and a front-facing camera. Users can also place calls to other Echo or Alexa App users, including a new feature Amazon calls “Drop In” for family and friends. The screen can also display the feeds from compatible security cameras
The Echo Show is the second new Amazon Echo device to be announced in the last few weeks. In April, Amazon launched the Echo Look, a voice-controlled smart selfie camera that is able to compare outfits and give fashion advice. While Echo Look is only available to select customers in the US via invitation, Echo Show will see wider availability, albeit only in the US initially.
Amazon Echo have over 70% share in the voice powered automation market.
Amazon, which launched the original Echo in the US in 2014, has benefitted from being ahead of the chasing pack. Photograph: Amazon
Amazon is locked in battle with Google and others for the burgeoning new world of voice assistant-powered smart speakers. Amazon has the lead thanks to its original Echo, which was launched in the US in 2014 and the UK in 2016. It became a sleeper hit in the US, while its open partnerships with various smart home makers including Alphabet’s Nest and Samsung’s SmartThings propelled it to an early market majority.
According to data from eMarketer, Amazon’s Echo devices will have 70.6% of the market versus 23.8% for Google’s Home. The research firm expects 35.6 million Americans will use a voice-assisted device at least once a month, which means that smart speakers will be far from a mass-market device, but usage will be up 128.9% year on year.
Martín Utreras, vice president of forecasting for eMarketer, said: “Consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable with the technology, which is driving engagement. As prices decrease and functionality increases, consumers are finding more reasons to adopt these devices.”
Samsung’s Harman Kardon is set to release a voice-controlled speaker with Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant in the Autumn in the US, leaving Apple as the last of the big four US technology companies with a virtual assistant but no voice-controlled speakers to house it in.
While Google’s Assistant has been available in a broad range of Android devices, including smartphones and smartwatches, Amazon’s big advantage has been the opening up of its Alexa system to third-party developers and hardware makers, which has seen Alexa appear in various speakers, other devices and cars.
Whether an Echo speaker with a screen is what the next stage of voice-control in the home looks like remains to be seen. Apple’s senior vice-president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, recently said in an interview with NDTV that a screen was key to a voice-controlled device, although the popularity of Amazon’s original Echo was partly fuelled by it being a voice-only interface that freed both hands and eyes.
Bid on Roth and Nuvo Speakers at the PHAB Silent Auction!
Fancy getting your hands on some of the best speakers about and doing your bit for charity? The Phuket Hotels Association Benefit (PHAB) is holding a SIlent Auction up to and including their Gala Dinner on Saturday the 13th May (Online Bidding Ends on the 12th).
Proceeds will go towards funding hospitality scholarships and traineeships, exclusively for the benefit of local Phuket residents.
"Through this special fundraising event, the Phuket Hotels Association aims to finance 20 hospitality scholarships and traineeships, exclusively for the benefit of Phuket residents. This will not only enable us to give back to the communities in which we live and work, but also provide higher education for those who would have otherwise been denied it.
As of right now our excellent Roth Oli RA1 speakers are up for 2,000 Baht (RRP 6,000 Baht) for the pair - These are the 5* What HiFi rated mini speakers, perfect for a bedroom, gym or kitchen setup.
We also have the Nuvo In-Ceiling speakers at 6,000 Baht, these architectural speakers fit flush with your ceiling and Retail is normally 14,000 Baht per pair.
Roth Oli RA Stereo Speakers
Nuvo In Ceiling Speakers
“Our goal is to raise upwards of Baht 3.5 million in funds to finance these initiatives and your support of the PHAB event will go a long way towards helping us achieve this goal”
Tickets for the Gala Dinner on Saturday 13th May are still available and the auction can be reached at the below URL.
Flexson Mounts for the Sonos Play3 and Play5
Today we had the pleasure of using the Flexson speaker mounts for Sonos at a beautiful villa in Phuket. Flexson are the mounts specifically made for the Sonos range of wireless speakers, they are available for the PlayBar, Play1, Play3, Play5 and Sonos Sub. The mounts come in floorstand, desk mount and wall mounts. H3 Digital are the Thai distributor for Sonos Flexson mounts in Thailand.
First up are the Flexson Stand Mounts for the all new Sonos Play5. At last an elegant solution to using Sonos's range of wireless HiFi speakers in your home. Cables tuck into the floor mounts themselves keeping them nicely hidden and the whole thing looking elegant but sounding great.
Next we have the Floor stand mount for the Sonos Play:3 wireless speaker, The Flexson mount does a great job at hiding the power cabling. The stand allows you to mount your Sonos Play3 either vertically or horizontally, whichever suits your room best. It puts the sound at ear level and allows you to position your Sonos speakers more naturally.
If you'd like to use Flexson speaker stands for your Sonos project then please get in touch.
Home Cinema Feedback (not that kind)
We love to hear feedback from clients and make sure that they are getting the most out of their H3 Digital designed audio, home cinema and lighting systems. This week a Phuket villa owner we haven't spoken to for a while, got back in touch to say they'd just had some guests stay and had the first issues with the home cinema since it was originally installed nearly 4 years ago.
This cosy cinema in Kamala, Phuket is an ideal use of space in a previously unused area.
We love that they are enjoying the system so much, technology can be great fun, not so much if it doesn't work or doesn't live up to expectations. That's where our professional home theatre design comes in - We engineer a fantastic system, that's fun to use, easy to operate and expertly supported by us.
Regarding our Home Cinema Install they said;
“H3 Digital’s creativity allowed us build a fantastic home cinema in an irregular sized space. The team listened to our needs, were responsive and the installation was extremely efficient. The room is now one of our favourite spaces in the villa”
If you'd like to turn a space in your villa or apartment into your very own home theatre, please get in touch.